Motor-vehicle control.



w. P SENG. MOTOR VEHICLE CONTROL.

APPLICATION FlLED NQV2 4. 19H.

1 274,204. Patented July 30, 1918.

f ue/whit WENDELIN .P. SENG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MOTOR-VEHICLE CONTROL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 30, 1918.

Application filed November 24, 1917. Serial No. 203,693.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WENDELIN P. SENG, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Motor-Vehicle Controls, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to motor-vehicle control mechanism, and more especially to the control of motor-vehicles employing internal combustion engines.

he primary object of the invention is to provide for the control of the motor by, or in connection with, the brake-actuating mechanism of the motor-vehicle, preferably by equipping'the brake-actuating lever with means for controlling the throttle of the motor.

The invention is illustrated, in its preferred embodiment, in the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 represents brokenly the brake mechanism of a motor-vehicle and the carbureter of the motor adapted to be controlled by the actuating lever of the brake mechanism Fig. 2, a broken sectional view, illustrating a detail whereby a pivotallymounted pedal on the actuating lever of the brake mechanism serves to actuate a rod which controls the throttle of the carbureter; and Fig. 3, a plan view of the pedal employed.

In the preferred construction, which is illustrated, A represents the brake mechanism of a motor-vehicle, or automobile; and- B, the carbureter of the motor of the ve- 1 hicle.

The brake mechanism may be of any ap proved form commonly empldyed on automobiles. In the illustration given, A represents the actuating lever of the :brake mechanism. As shown, it comprises an arm mounted on the rock-shaft 1 and having a bent, or angular, portion 2, which is forked or provided with a slot, in which is mounted, on a pivot 3, a small lever 4:, equipped at its lower end with a cam 4*. Between the extremities of the furcations of the angular arm 2 ismounted, on a pivot 5, a pedal, or foot-rest, 6. The pedal is provided with toeportions 6, and" with a heel which is preferchine may be driven comfortably either by a lady or gentleman.

The pedal 6 is provided below the pivot 5 with a short arm, having a bearing, or projection, 6, which engages a notch or recess in the upper end of the lever 4. The construction and arrangement are such that when the toe of the pedal is depressed, the lower end of the lever 4 is moved forwardly, so that the cam a will actuate the rod controlling the carbureter.

The carbureter B may be of any desired form. In the illustration given, 7 represents the manifold pipe; 8, the air-intake of the carbureter; 9, the butterfly-valve, mounted on a rock-shaft 10 and controlling the passage of the gaseous mixture to the engme;

11, the lever serving to actuate the rock-' shaft 10; 12, a stop which is engaged by the arm 11 in the low-throttle position; and 13. a rod pivotally connected at its front end with the arm, or lever, 11.

The rod 13 is slidably mounted, in the usual manner, in bearings 14:, and therear end of the rod is adjacent to, or impinges against the cam P. Preferably, the rear end of the rod 13 is bent, or curved, to enable the cam 4 to slide freely thereunder. A spring 15 normally holds the rod 13 retracted, in which position the carbureter is at low throttle. The front end of the spring 13 bears against one of the fixed guides of the rod 13, and the rear end bears against a 001-.

lar 16, which is fixedly secured on the rod, and from which projects an arm 16, which has connected therewith a rod 17, which connects, in the usual manner, with a hand-control for the carbureter which is mounted on or adjacent the steering wheel of the machine.

The rod 17 is slidable through oneof the stationary bearings which support the rod 13, and the rear end of the rod 17 extends loosely through a perforation in the arm 16 and is equipped with a stop 17, which is adapted to actuate the rod 13 through the medium of the arm 16 when the hand-control lever (not shown) is moved to open the throttle. As usual, however, the rod 13 may be moved by the accelerator, without affecting the rod 17.

From the description given, it will be understood that in the construction illustrated, the mechanism mounted on the lever A that is, the small lever 4 and the pedal 6are adapted to serve as an accelerator for the motor. In practice, the hand-lever at the steering-wheel, or on the steering column .of the machine, is set at low-throttle, and the operation of the engine is controlled by the foot-mechanism. By mounting the accelerator mechanism on the actuating lever ofthe brake mechanism, full control of the speed of the vehicle is placed with the foot of the operator, it being understood that by depressing the toe of the pedal 6, the speed of the motor may be accelerated at will, while, on the other hand, by elevating the toe and depressing the lever A through the medium of the pedal, the brakes may be applied at will. Thus, the full control of the machine is gained, without removing the foot from the pedal 6.

The lever A is normally held yieldingly in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by a spring 18, which serves in the usual manner to return the lever to the position shown, after the application of the brake. With the lever A is connected a rod 19 which serves to actuate the foot-brakes of the vehicle in the usual manner. That is, when the lever A is moved forwardly and downwardly, it

serves to apply the brakes of the vehicle in a manner which is well understood in the art.

In practice, the spring 18 must be of moderate tension to enable the brake to be applied without too great efi'ort on the part of the operator. It may happen, therefore, in driving over rough roads that some movement of the brake lever A will unavoidably occur; and it is desirable that such undesired movement shall not affect the throttle. Accordingly, it is preferred to strike the surface of the cam 4* on anarc having the shaft 1 as a center, assuming the lever 4 to be in the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and in full lines in Fig. 2, which corresponds with a partially-open throttle, say sufficient to maintain a speed of approximately twenty miles per hour. The cam surface 1, in the position shown in Fig.

2, and in the dotted position shown in Fig.

1, is therefore an are having the shaft 1 as a center. In the low-throttle position of the lever 4:, shown in full lines in Fig, 1, the center of the arc of the cam surface 4? is at the point 20, indicated in Fig. 1. By reference to Fig. 2, it will now be understood that when the lever 1 is in the position shown in Fig. 2,the brake-lever A may move or vibrate without afiecting the position of the throttle-controlling rod 13. By this simple expedient, I am able to maintain the throttle in constant, partially-open position, even while the machine is passing over roads sufficiently rough to cause some vibration of the brake-lever A It may be added that the balanced position of thefoot on the pedal 6 and the actuation of the rod 13 through the medium of the lever connections and cam i enable control of the motor to be effected with the greatest nicety and ease; and it will be understood that the engine may be slowed down from high speed to low throttle, and the brake applied with the utmost facility. This may be accomplished very gradually, or instantaneously, according to desire or necessity.

The construction described is simple, may be applied at moderate cost, and very greatly facilitates the operation and control of the vehicle. Under crowded conditions of trafiic, the invention is of great importance, as it enables a machine tobe controlled with the greatest facility and largely obviates the necessity of making frequent gear shifts; and, generally, the invention tends to the longevity of the machine and to the avoidance of accidents, because of the gradualn'ess with which the change in speed may be effected, while at the same time provision is made for instant stopping of the machine in the case of emergency, the engine passing also automatically to low throttle when the brake is applied. It may be noted, in this connection, that the cam 4 is so positioned that it will freely pass the rear extremity of the rod 13 in the operation of applying the brakes; and it will be understood, of course, that the spring-15 returns the engine to low throttle. 1

It is preferred. to control the motor through the medium of the throttle, and in the specific illustration of the invention given, this method is illustrated. Also, it is preferred to mount the pedal-actuated throttle-controlling device on the brakelever, rather than on the clutch-controlling foot-lever, although the invention is not to be regarded as restricted in its application to the brake-lever. motor-control may be controlled through the medium of the improved foot-controlled mechanism mounted on one'of the regular vehicle-controlling foot-levers of the motorvehicle. a

It is preferred to provide shoulders 21 and 21 on the pivotal portion of the pedal 6 and the upper end of the lever 1, respectively. These shoulders serve to limit the swing of the pedal about the pivot 5, and

Any desired means of especially to limit the rearward tilt of the pedal With relation to the actuating lever A in the operation of applying the brake. .The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitation should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible in view of the prior art.

WVhat I regard as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Motor-vehicle-controlling mechanism,

comprising brake-actuating mechanism, in

cluding a lever, a pedal mounted on and adapted to actuate said lever, a lever mounted on said first-named lever and adapted to be actuated by said pedal, said secondnamed lever being provided with a cam, and a motor-controlling member having an extremity adjacent to and adapted to be actuated by said cam, said cam being adapted to clear said member in the operation of applying the-brakes.

2. Motorvehicle controlling mechanism comprising, brake-applying mechanism, including an actuating lever, a'pedal pivotally mounted on and adapted to actuate said lever, a motor-controlling member, and a lever mounted on said first-named lever and actuated by said pedal and serving to actuate said motor-controlling member, the device being constructed and arranged to permit limited movement of said actuating lever and pedal as a unit without substantially affecting-thespeed of the motor.

3. In motor-vehicle controlling mecha nism, the combination with a carbureter equipped with a valve-controlling the passage of a spring-retracted rod normally holding said valve at low-throttle position, of brakeapplying mechanism, including an actuating lever, a pedal pivotally mounted on said lever, and cam means mounted on said lever and adapted to be actuated by said pedal in the operation of depressing the toe-portion thereof to thrust said rod forwardly and accelerate the motor.

4. In means of the character set forth, brake-applying mechanism, including an actuating lever having a forked extremity, a pedal pivotally mounted in tremity of said lever and equipped below its pivot portion with a lever-actuating member, and a motor-controlling lever mounted in the forked portion of said first-named lever and engaged by said lever actuating member and adapted to be actuated b said pedal in the pivotal movement thereo 5. In means of the character set forth, brake-applying mechanism, including an actuating lever, having a forked extremity; a pedal pivotally mounted in said forked extremity, and a lever pivotally mounted in mounted on and adapted gaseous substance to the motor, and l the forked exsaid forked extremity and adapted to be actuated by said pedal, said second-named lever having a cam portion at its lower end adapted to serve in the control of a motor.

6. Motorvehiclecontrolling mechanism, comprising a rod serving to control the speed of the-motor, afoot-lever serving to control the speed of the motor-vehicle, a pedal mounted on and adapted to actuate said foot-lever, and a lever mounted on said foot-lever andadapted to be actuated by said pedal, said second-named lever having a cam slidably engaging the rear end of said rod.

- 7 Motor vehicle controlling mechanism, comprising a rod serving to control the speed of the motor, a foot-lever serving in controlling the speed of the motor-vehicle, a pedal mounted on 'andadapted to actuate said foot-lever, and a cam device actuated by said pedal, said cam device having a cam surface engaging said rod, said cam surface corresponding. approximately with an are having its center at the axis of the foot lever when said rod is in a position corresponding with the partially accelerated condition of themotor.

8. Motor .-vehicle controlling mechanism, comprising a rod serving to control the speed of the motor, a foot-lever serving in the control of the motor-vehicle, a pedal to actuate said foot-lever, and a lever mounted on said footlever and adapted to be actuated by saidpedal, said second-named lever having a cam surface engaging said rod, said cam surface corresponding approximately with an are having its center at the axis of said foot lever when the motor is in partially accelerated condition.

9. Motor vehicle controlling mechanism, comprising a rod serving to control the speed of the motor, brake mechanism, including an actuating lever, a pedal mounted on and adapted to actuate said lever, and means mounted on said lever and controlled by said pedal, said means being in operative relation to said rod and adapted to permit vibration of said lever in the partly accelerated condition of the motor, without sub stantially changing the position of said rod.

10. Motor-vehicle-controlling mechanism, comprising brake mechanism, including an actuating lever, a pedal mounted on and adapted to actuate said lever, a lever mounted on said first-named lever and adapted to be actuated by said pedal, said' second named lever having a cam surface corresponding approximately with an arc struck from the axis of said first-named lever when said pedal is partially tilted forwardly, and motor-controlling means having a member operatively engaged by said cam.

11. Motor-vehicle-controlling mechanism,

comprising a carhureter equipped with a throttle valve, a rod controlling said throttle valve, a spring tending to throw the throttle valve to low-throttle position, brake 5 mechanism including an actuating lever, a pedal mounted on and adapted to actuate said lever, and a lever mounted on said firstnamed lever and adapted to be actuated by said pedal, said second-named lever having a cam surface engaging said rod, said cam 10 surface corresponding approximately. with an are having as its center the axis of said first-named lever when said second-named lever is in position corresponding with the partially open position of the throttle valve. 15

/VENDELIN P. SENG. 

